Alternating rotary gearing.



A. S. LEMAY.

ALTERNATING ROTARY GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1912. 1,077,354, Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. S. LE MAY.

ALTERNATING ROTARY GEARING.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1912.

1,077,354. -Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

LO I I 51mm ARTHUR S. LEMAY, F JEROME, IDAHO.

ALTERNATING ROTARY GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 10, 1912. Serial No, 719,660.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I,.ARTIIUR S. LEMAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jerome, in the county of Lincoln and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alternating Rotary Gearing, of which the following is a speci-' fication.

My i nyention is an improved driving mechanism more particularly adapted for use in connection with machines of that type wherein the mechanism is rotated, first in one direction and then in another direction.- This type of machine is exemplified in a washing machine though of course my device is applicable to any machine of this type. In order to produce the best results, it is generally desirable that the number of revolutions of the mechanism in one direction be as near as practicable equal to the number of revolutions of the mechanism in y the opposite direction. It is to accomplish this result that I have developed my present form of power transmission mechanism.

My invention embodies a. driving shaft gearedwith a driven shaft in such manner that by shifting the clutch member on the driven shaft the direction of rotation of such shaft may be reversed.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, which is adapted to automatically shift such clutch member at intervals to effect such reversing of such driven shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide shifting means which will be positive in operation throughout its action.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the device may be thrown out of gear. absolutely.

A further ob ect is to provide a device of this character, which will be simple and efficient in operation, durable in servlce, and not liable to get out of order.

Referring to the drawings, wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a front eleva tion of my device, parts being shown in section, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view .in' elevation illustrating the release, Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a rectangular frame, provided with extensions 2 by means of which the devicemay be bolted to the machine to be operated. J ournaled through the upper portion ofthe frame is a driving shaft 3 connected with any suitable source Patented Nov. 4, 19 13.

loosely mounted upon the shaft 6. The gear Wheels 5 and are provided upon their opposing faces with friction clutch members 11 and 12, respectively.

Splined upon the shaft 6, as shown at 13, are two clutch. members 14 and 15. The clutch members14 and 15 conform in contour to the clutch members 11 and 12 and are adapted to cooperate therewith. Splined upon the shaft 6 is a shifting drum 16, provided centrally thereof with an annular groove 17 The end flanges 18 of the Shift. ing drum 16 are provided with apertures 19 through which pass bolts 20 which are screwed into the clutch members 14 and 15. A spring 21 surrounds each of said bolts 20 and abuts against the shifting drum and the clutch member 14 or'15, as the case may be.

In order to shift the clutch members 14 or 15 into engagement with the clutch members 11 or 12, I provide automatic mechanism to be described. Formed upon the top and 23. Pivotally secured'upon the lug 22 is an arm 24 within which is journaled a. short shaft 25 carrying a worm-wheel 26 meshing with a worm 27 secured upon the shaft 3. A cam 28 is also secured 'upon the shaft 25 and is disposed within the forked end 29 of the shifting lever 30, which extends downwardly and is pivoted at 31. Intermediate of its ends the shift n lever 30 is provided with a fork 32 d spose 1n the annular groove 17 in the shift-mg drum 16. The pivoted arm 24 is held in 1ts normal position by means of acam lever 33 pivoted uponthe lug 23,- as shown at 34. A retracpart of the frame 1 are depending lugs 22 V tile coil spring 35 has one end connected with the frame 1 and the other end connected with the arm 24.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the shaft 3 is rotated the gear 4 turns the gears idly u nthe shaft 6 and the gear 7, through t e medium of the gear 8 turns the gear 10 idly upon the shaft 6 in.

an opposite direction to the gear 5. As the shaft 3 revolves the worm 27 turns the shaft 25 through the medium of the worm wheel 26, thus rotating the cam 28. As the cam rot-ates within the forked end 29 of the shifting lever 30, said shifting lever is moved laterally, carrying with it the shifting drum 16. By virtue of the bolts 20 and springs 21 the movement of the shifting -drum 16 forces one ofthe clutch members 14 or '15 into engagement with the clutch member 11 or 12. When the shifting lever 30 is moved in the direction of the arrow the clutch member 14: is engaged with the clutch member 11, thus causing the gear 5 to rotate the member 14: and thereby rotate the shaft 6. When the shifting lever is moved in the opposite direction, the clutch member 15 is forced into engagement with the clutch member12, thus causin the gear 10 to ro-' tate-the member 15 an thereby rotate the shaft 6 in an opposite direction. The springs 21 surrounding the bolts 20 serve as a buffer to prevent jamming the clutch members. In order to throw the mechanism out of gear it is merely necessary to-swing the lever 33 into a vertical position, as shown 'in Fig.2. The spring 35 will then draw the arm 24 upwardly,pulling the worm wheel 26 out of engagement with the worm 27.

It is to be understood that various changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or limiting the scope of the subjo-ined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described,

a driving shaft, a driven shaft, two setsof gearing connecting said driving shaft with said driven shaft, clutch members splined upon said driven shaft and adapted to en: gage alternately clutch members formed upon the gears upon the driven shaft,

means for shifting said first named clutch -members into and out of engagement with said last named clutch members, said means comprising a shiftin lever, a cam for operating the same, a s ort shaft upon which said cam is mounted, a gear on said short shaft, a gear on said drivin shaft meshing with the gear on said short shaft, and means for disengaging said last named gears, said means comprising a pivoted sprin pressed arm through which said short sha t is journaled, and a cam lever for maintaining said pivoted arm in osition for holding said last named gears in engagement. I

2. In a device of the character described, a

driving shaft, a driven shaft, two sets of gearing connecting said shafts, clutch members splined upon said driven shaft and adapted to engage alternately clutch members formed upon the gears upon the driven shaft, means for shiftnig said first named clutch members into and out of engagement with sald last named clutch members, said .means comprising a shifting lever, a cam for signature in the lpresence of two witnesses. W

v RTHUR S. LEMAY. Witnesses a i D. A. LHnRIssoN, BERT S. WHITNEY. 

